


Tis the Little Things That Make the Season...

by fhsa_archivist



Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Challenge Response, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-05
Updated: 2006-03-05
Packaged: 2019-02-05 14:38:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12796587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fhsa_archivist/pseuds/fhsa_archivist
Summary: For the Secret Santa Fic Swap 2004





	Tis the Little Things That Make the Season...

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

Ordinarily, Nathaniel hated to return to an empty house, but this night, he was very much looking forward to it. There had been no opportunity to date for him to enjoy his secret holiday traditions. But on this night, he was to suppose to have the house to himself. With movies and gifts tucked under his arm, Nathaniel entered the dark house. He shed his coat and dropped his load onto the coffee table before heading to the kitchen for hot cocoa. 

 

He had just passed the door when he saw Damian seated alone at the kitchen table. Nathaniel halted in surprise. "Damian, what are you doing sitting here in the dark?" he asked, eyeing the red-haired vampire in concern.

 

Everyone had noticed, but none had remarked, how Anita's vampire servant avoided the holiday madness that was going on in Anita's house. With all the wereleopards, vampires, and assorted shifters dropping by, the house had come to resemble a department store. The tree had presents piled up to its second branches, and every surface was covered in some form of holiday decoration. After the year they had all had, everyone was very excited about this holiday season.

 

Damian had steered clear of all that however, and Nathaniel on more than one occasion, had wondered why.

 

Damian looked up at the young wereleopard. "I thought everyone had plans this evening. Why are you not with our mistress?" he asked.

 

Nathaniel flipped on the kitchen lights, watching as Damian's emerald-colored eyes did nothing, no blinking, and no dilation of the pupils. It was kind of spooky, the young leopard thought. 

 

Nathaniel continued to watch the vampire, "No, Anita and Micah were going shopping and out to dinner." Nathaniel moved to the sink, filing the teapot for his hot cocoa. "I got a couple movies and have some presents to wrap." He did not say how much he had been looking forward to a night with the house to himself. Damian seemed sensitive lately, almost brittle, as if a harsh word would shatter him. Nathaniel thought it was probably a result of the marks between them and Anita. They had each experienced some unusual habits and behaviors from that merging.

 

Nathaniel came to a decision. "Damian, don't you like Christmas?" he asked, curious as that was for the vampires down mood of late.

 

Damian looked surprised, not so much by the question, but that someone had asked it. "It has been a very long time, Nathaniel, since I celebrated the Yuletide holiday." Damian became lost in thought, and by his expression, not all happy thoughts. "Not since I was turned," he whispered.

 

Nathaniel nodded his head. It was as he suspected. Damian felt left out of the holiday madness, and had no idea how even to join in. Nathaniel fixed his hot cocoa, making it much hotter than normal. "Stay here a minute. I will be right back," he told the vampire, and disappeared into the living room.

 

Nathaniel turned off the overhead lights and plugged in the tree and mantle decorations. He put the first movie in and unloaded his bags, laying out the paper, ribbon, tape, bows, and boxes he had yet to wrap. Returning to the kitchen, he said, "Come with me, Damian."

 

Damian halted at the threshold of the festive room, very unsure of himself in this environment. But Nathaniel took his hand and led the obedient vampire to the white coach. "Now I am going to share one of my favorite holiday traditions with you, but please don't tell the others. They'll tease me," Nathaniel said, smiling down into Damian's emerald eyes. Nathaniel sat on the floor, and cleared the table, placing all the items to be wrapped upon it. "First we wrap presents. Have you ever wrapped gifts?" he asked.

 

Damian shook his head, looking down at the brightly colored paper and delicate strands of ribbon. Nathaniel reached over and with a tug, pulled Damian down to sit on the floor beside him. Over the next hour, he proceeded to show Damian how to wrap and tie a large bow. Once finished he piled Damian's arms with the gifts. "Now take these and place them under the tree," he instructed.

 

Damian smiled as he added the brightly colored packages to the mound already under the tree; with surprise he saw gifts under the tree with his name on them. "I have presents," he said, turning to the young wereleopard with surprise.

 

"Of course you do," Nathaniel laughed and moved to the sofa. Curling up, he covered his legs with the red and green quilt from the back of the couch. "Now come sit down and watch my favorite movie," he said, patting the space beside him. 

 

Once Damian had moved to the sofa, Nathaniel handed him the cup of cocoa. "Just smell. I know you cannot drink it, but I always have chocolate and watch this movie," Nathaniel hit play on the DVD and snuggled down under his quilt.

 

Damian took the cup and sat close to the wereleopard, the boy's scent and warmth comforting. "It smells good," he offered, as they both watched the opening credits appear on the screen.

 

Nathaniel turned to his side, facing Damian as they waited for the movie. "I have always had this tradition. Even those times when I lived on the streets. I would save up what I could, buy myself some hot cocoa and find somewhere to watch this movie. I had no presents to wrap, but I still tried to find a way to do part of it," Nathaniel gracefully accepted the cup back from Damian, and took a healthy sip. "Yum," he said. 

 

Damian felt affection for the young man, and in a rare display hugged the warm body close to his side. By Nathaniel's words, Damian was reminded yet again of the difficult life the younger male had. That these little rituals meant something was obvious, and Damian was grateful Nathaniel wanted to share them. The closeness he now felt to the wereleopard, he knew, came from the marks between them. But Damian found that he did not mind. He liked Nathaniel, and felt happy in his presence. "What's the movie?" he asked.

 

Nathaniel appeared to blush just a little. "It's a Wonderful Life," he replied.

 

"Never seen it," Damian said.

 

"You're in for a treat, then," Nathaniel whispered happily as the opening scene rolled on the screen. He snuggled tighter against the vampire, happy to have someone to snuggle with now. This movie had always touched Nathaniel, and for brief moments during some of his worst times, given him hope. It almost seemed to say to Nathaniel, that no matter how bad things got, something better would come along. Kind of like Anita came along in Nathaniel's life.

 

They watched the movie silently, with Nathaniel making only one trip out of the room, and that was for more hot cocoa. It was as the ending credits played that Damian noticed Nathaniel sniffling beside him. He peered down into the wereleopard's face surprised to see it wet with tears. "Why are you crying?" he asked.

 

Nathaniel laughed self-consciously and buried his face in the quilt. "I always cry when I watch this movie," he mumbled, and when Damian laughed; he swatted the vampire with a pillow. "Don't laugh, everyone cries watching It's A Wonderful Life."

 

"If you say so," Damian replied, no sign of tears in his bright eyes.

 

"Scrooge," Nathaniel accused, as he stood, stretching the kinks out of his body after being seated so long.

 

"What is scrooge?" Damian asked.

 

Nathaniel laughed and moving to the window, called over his shoulder. "Nothing, and anyway, you aren't a scrooge," he answered, smiling. 

 

Nathaniel turned back to the window, and grinned at the sights outside. _Perfect_ , he thought. A soft snow fell upon what St. Louis had already had this season. The gently falling snow was beautiful with the holiday lights catching the small flakes. Nathaniel turned and regarded the vampire for a moment.

 

"What?" Damian asked, as the wereleopard continued to look at him. But Nathaniel only shook his head and left the room toward the back of the house. He returned minutes later with his coat, hat and gloves. He handed Damian a pair of heavy mittens as he put his outerwear on. "Here, wear these," he said, handing Damian the extra gloves.

 

Damian eyed the brightly colored mittens doubtfully. "Why?" he asked.

 

"We are going outside," Nathaniel announced.

 

Damian stood and moved to the door with the wereleopard. "But Nathaniel, I do not feel the cold," he said, with amusement.

 

"I know, but you'll need these for what I have in mind," Nathaniel said, mischief in his tone.

 

Once outside, Nathaniel led Damian to the back of the house, where the yard opened up more. Nathaniel tilted his head back, and despite his audience, attempted to catch snowflakes on his tongue. "Come on," he yelled to the grinning vampire. "You try it," his tone daring Damian to act.

 

Damian shook his head, laughing at the younger man's silliness. "No, thank you," he replied. But he could not stop himself from leaning his own head back to let the soft flakes fall onto his face and hair. It was beautiful. So quiet out here, Damian thought, as if he and Nathaniel were the only two in the world, or at least in their small corner of it. Damian became lost in the night's beauty. He wandered away from the playing wereleopard, with head lifted to the sky and eyes following snow as it fell to the earth.

 

It was the thud against his back and the feel of something cold and wet sliding down his neck that brought his attention back to Nathaniel. As he turned to ask the young man what he thought he was doing, Nathaniel struck again. This time Damien ended up with a face full of snowball.

 

Nathaniel had to hold his sides as laughter shook his frame. The look upon Damian's face was priceless! He looked at Nathaniel in amazement, snow clinging to his face. Nathaniel let out a very unmanly shriek as Damian bent over and starting constructing his own weapons. With only one look back, Nathaniel fled. The snowball fight was underway. 

 

They played outside until Damian noticed the wereleopard's bright red nose. Only then did he suggest they return to the house. Laughing, they let themselves in and Nathaniel went to put away his wet outer clothes, while Damian made the young man another hot cocoa. Damian returned to the room, only to find Nathaniel seated on the floor next to the Christmas tree. 

 

"Now what are you up to?" he asked, as he handed Nathaniel his beverage.

 

Nathaniel only grinned and patted the floor next to him in invitation. Once the vampire was seated, Nathaniel handed him a wrapped box with his name on. "I thought we were supposed to wait until Christmas to open these," he said, as Nathaniel picked up one of his own gifts.

 

Nathaniel leaned his head close to his present and began shaking it gently. "We will, but that doesn't mean we can't try and guess what they are," he answered.

 

Damian laughed, but followed his young guide's direction and shook his own package. The pair proceeded to shake and take guesses on all their gifts, laughing at each other as they tried to out do the other with outrageous suggestions. They only stopped when Nathaniel announced it was time for his second favorite movie and moved back to the couch.

 

Damian sighed, content, and placed a soft kiss atop Nathaniel auburn head. He sat with only the dim glow of holiday lights around him, a old black and white movie playing on the television, curled up on a comfortable sofa with a lap full of drowsing wereleopard. The soundtrack of the movie played low in the background and the world outside was hushed by the falling snow. This was what he remembered the most about the season, it was the littlest things that made them so special...

 

The End


End file.
